


Church Bells

by denoii



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, Female Dick Grayson, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Murder, Physical Abuse, Songfic, Strippers & Strip Clubs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:14:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23299144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/denoii/pseuds/denoii
Summary: Rachelle always managed to find herself in the worst-case scenario.
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd
Kudos: 70





	Church Bells

**Author's Note:**

> Written to go along with Church Bells by Carrie Underwood

_Jenny grew up wild, like a blackfoot daisy_  
_Out in the shack with a blue tick hound_  
_Broke as hell, but blessed with beauty_  
_The kind that a rich man can't turn down_  
==

Rachelle had grown up in the circus. Performing in front of people was something she had done as long as she could remember. The sound of wind whooshing through her ears, swinging on a trapeze for thousands. Always so full of energy. But all good things must come to an end. She thought about how as she got older the crowds of thousands diminished, and the meeting when she turned 16 with everyone. Her Uncle Jack telling them that the ticket sales weren’t enough to keep them open, they would finish the tour and then Haly’s Circus would be no more.

The severance had been tough on the Graysons. Their entire livelihood was made on it. Her parents hadn’t had the best upbringing, they hadn’t finished high school. Her mother had been kidnapped as part of a human trafficking ring, and his father was kicked out. Rachelle, as a result, was never in a place long enough to enroll in school. They all knew enough to make it. But, without any degrees, they weren’t able to find jobs. But Rachelle was able to fake an ID that got her a job as a stripper in the really seedy part of Gotham. With her looks and abilities, she was able to provide for her family enough that they could get their GEDs. It was far from perfect or easy, but when had their lives ever been easy?

==

_She caught the eye of an oil man dancing_  
_One summer night in a dime store dress_  
_She had the looks, he had the mansion_  
_And you can figure out the rest_

==

It was a warm night in July, and the club was packed and hot. The dressing room was alight with the other girls gossiping about tonight's crowd.

“I’m telling you guys he’s out there!” Stephanie insisted.

“You really think Bruce Wayne is going to visit a club like ours? Yeah right,” Kory rolled her eyes.

“What’s going on?” Rachelle said putting her bag into her locker.

“Steph seems to think that Bruce Wayne is out there.”

“Like Wayne Enterprises, Bruce Wayne?” Rachelle was incredulous. “Sorry, Steph but there’s no way.”

Boy, was she wrong. When she got on stage, she saw a man, that she was only familiar through the media sitting in a booth in the back. She could barely make out his face, but the silhouette of his large, imposing figure. She didn’t allow herself to get caught up in him and soon lost herself in the music. However, she did notice when he moved himself from the booth to get closer to the stage. As her song ended, she went around collecting her tips, when Bruce Wayne asked her for a private dance.

==

_It was all roses, dripping in diamonds_  
_Sipping on champagne_  
_She was all uptown, wearing that white gown_  
_Taking his last name_

==

They had a whirlwind of a relationship. They had only been seeing each other a year before getting married. Dating Bruce was the most spoiled she had ever been. He had insisted on her and her parents to move into the manor immediately. She was suddenly being waited on and having every single whim met. She got used to it very quickly.

The wedding was expensive, public, and gorgeous. The finest money could buy. It was in Gotham Cathedral, the pews decorated with white roses. It was the day she’d remember forever, even if she did tell off a couple of Bruce’s friends for talking shit about some of her guests. She didn’t allow that to put a damper on her night though. She was Rachelle Wayne now, and nothing could take that from her.  
==

_Jenny was hosting Junior League parties_  
_And having dinner at the country club_  
_Everyone thought they were Ken and Barbie_  
_But Ken was always getting way too drunk_

==

Rachelle had found that life married to Bruce Wayne was something she never wanted to give up, even if Wayne Enterprises went bankrupt and they were dirt broke, she was only 19, she had a while to go before she wouldn’t be able to make money performing anymore.

She had found herself acclimating to the life of a socialite, hosting a charity gala nearly every other weekend, laughing with other women that were born with a silver spoon in their mouths that she called her friends. Barbara was different though, she hung around high society people, but wasn’t anything like them at all. Much more down to earth, Rachelle considered Barbara her only real friend in the circles she found herself in these days. Their Saturday nights consisting of Galas and their Sundays at the country club for dinner.

The only thing Rachelle had never acclimated to was the publicity. Sure, she loved performing but performances are choreographed. She knows what to do and when it’s practiced. She was never one for improv and that’s all the media is. Bruce usually took the lead when it came to charming the press. Eventually dubbing them Ken and Barbie for their charming looks.

==

_Saturday night, after a few too many_  
_He came home ready to fight_  
_And all his money could never save Jenny_  
_From the devil living in his eyes_

==

Roughly six months after getting married, Bruce started getting drunk in his study, out and about, just about anywhere he could. He had assured her that it was just stress from work, the partnership with Lexcorp going nowhere near as smoothly as he’d hoped. Rachelle just smiled softly and nodded. She didn’t think anything of it until Babs had told her that the partnership with Lexcorp wasn’t supposed to happen for months.

But she never got to question him because that night when he came home smelling like alcohol, she could tell that there was something dark in his eyes.

“Baby?” No response. She tried again, “Bruce? Are you okay?”

She approached him hesitantly, placing both of her hands on his chest. “Are you okay?” She grew increasingly worried as the seconds ticked by without a response.

She went to ask again, but before she could get the first syllable out, she was on the floor. Having been practically thrown to the ground. She had always known Bruce was much larger than she was, but it was now where she realized just how much. Before she could speak, his foot collided with her stomach, the pain was mind-numbing, he picked her up from the floor, where she was curled into a ball.  
Rachelle was barely able to comprehend what was happening before his fist collided with her face. For the next ten minutes, the only thing she could think about was the pain.

==

_It was all bruises, covered in makeup_  
_Dark sunglasses_  
_And that next morning, sitting in the back pew_  
_Praying with the baptist_

==

Rachelle woke up the next morning sore, with Bruce asleep next to her. When she shifted, one thing was made clear, she definitely wasn’t wearing any clothes.

Shit. Okay, Rachelle, all you have to do is get out of bed and get dressed without waking Bruce up.  
The task wasn’t all too hard. Bruce slept like a rock, and she just needed to grab her clothes from the night before and make a break for her bathroom. She could do that.

Thankfully, Rachelle had made it without Bruce so much as stirring. When she had made it into the bathroom, she stripped and assessed the damage. She winced, Bruises littered her entire body. Two sets of symmetrical bruises on her waist and hips confirmed her suspicions from when she woke up. God, what had happened.

She made quick work of her shower and getting dressed. She took care in her makeup today, making sure to cover the large black eye. Nobody could know. They were Gotham’s it couple. She put on a pair of sunglasses to make sure, nobody could see it.  
==

_Jenny slipped something in his Tennessee whiskey_  
_No law man was ever gonna find_  
_And how he died is still a mystery_  
_But he hit a woman for the very last time_

==

The next night, Rachelle had come to a conclusion. Bruce would never get the chance to hit her again. Finding a drug that was imperceptible to the cops and the taste buds was nearly comically easy. Jason was a Godsend, and she was glad they had become close during her first few months in Gotham.

It was was easy enough to get Bruce to drink it, she just put it into a bottle of the whiskey he liked to drink just after dinners on Sunday night. She poured him a glass and, got settled in her armchair in the library. Roughly five minutes later, Alfred brought Jason in.  
It was part of her alibi. She needed both Jason and Alfred to see her in the library, for it to work. Now she had to wait, paying attention to the grandfather clock. She found herself catching up with Jason, conversation with them had never been forced. And if they found themselves in a compromising position, well, they'd never tell.

The next morning brought about a lot of stress. GCPD was crawling the front lawn. She checked her phone, a text from Babs.

‘Dad told me what happened. I’m so sorry. I love you, call me if you need anything’

Rachelle smiled at the message, typing out a simple ‘thanks <3’ before getting dressed to deal with the headache waiting for her downstairs. She noticed a slip of paper on the pillow next to her.

‘Hey, sorry I left. It wouldn’t look good for either of us if I got caught hanging around the night of Bruce Wayne’s untimely demise. We should do it again ;)’

She went downstairs, to see Commissioner Gordon talking to Alfred. Seeing Rachelle coming downstairs he walked to the bottom of the stairs. “I’m so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Wayne”

“M-my loss?”

“Your husband passed away last night.”

It was easy for her to be overcome by grief. Jim had made it real, even if her reaction was slightly dramatized. “Will you please excuse me?”

Her plan was coming along nicely, Jim was buying directly into her story. When she returned minutes later, she had composed herself enough to answer his questions.

“Did Bruce have any medical conditions that you knew of?”

She shook her head.

“What were you doing last night, from the hours of six to ten pm?”

“Uh, Bruce and I had dinner, and Bruce went into the parlor to have his Sunday drink. I didn’t join him last night, I was expecting company.”

“And who would that person be?”

“Jason Todd, he’s a friend of mine from when I first moved into Gotham.”

Jim nodded, gesturing for her to continue.  
“Alfred brought him in around seven-ish? We were in the library, Jason likes the books and the library’s always been my favorite room in the house.”

“What were you doing with Jason in the library?”

“We try to get together once a week, it’s mostly to catch up but sometimes we open a book or two.”

“These weekly sessions don’t devolve into anything else do they?”

“If you’re implying that I would ever cheat on Bruce- you are sorely mistaken, Mister Gordon!”

“I apologize, Mrs. Wayne, continue.

“I can’t remember much after that, I must’ve drifted off, and Jason took me to bed, and left.”

“Mr. Pennyworth said you two have been growing apart, would you mind telling me about that?”

“Bruce was always so busy with work, and that was taking a toll on us. There was supposed to be a partnership with Lexcorp.”

\---

She could tell when Jason arrived from the roar of a motorcycle engine outside. Rushing to her feet, she managed to meet Jason in the foyer running into his arms. “Jay!”

“Woah! Hello to you too, Goldie.”

Rachelle didn’t bother with a response,

Jim appeared behind her. “Jim Gordon, GCPD. I take it you’re Jason Todd?”

“Yeah.”

“Would you mind answering some questions?”

The questions were easy enough until Rachelle left.  
“So, what’s actually going on between you and Mrs. Wayne?”

“She’s my best friend, yeah we hooked up a couple of times before she started dating Bruce, but that’s it. Never while she was dating or married to Bruce.”

“You were never jealous of Mr. Wayne were you?”

“For his money, but who isn’t?”

“Thank you for your time, Mr. Todd.”

When he saw Rachelle again, it was hours later. “You think Gordon’s buying it?”

“Probably. Nice one on the jealous of him for his money comment. You think we’ll get away with it?”

“Definitely.”

And he was right. Years later, the police had ruled it a case of alcohol poisoning, just to get the public off their back. Rachelle played the role of grieving widow to the public for about a year. When she was twenty-two, she announced her relationship with Jason Todd.


End file.
